e
of the usual creamy foam, for the sea ran over the ship as though she
were not there. When the downward flights came, the captain on the high
bridge was often up to his knees in water; and again and again he made
up his mind that his vessel could never come out of it. Once, when the
mate dodged aft and clambered to the bridge, the "Coquet" took a long
rush down, after she had reared on end like a horse. Her plunge was like
the dive of a whale, and the screw "raced"--that is, whirled round high
above the sea-level. The mate said, "She's gone, sir;" the captain
replied, "Give her time." Once more she came up and shook herself; but
it seemed as though her elasticity was gone. In truth, her deck had an
ugly slant. During all this time the wind was growing, and the sea was
gaining speed and strength. It could not very well last, and nobody knew
that better than the captain. A blinding scuffle of cross-seas came and
the "Coquet" was smothered for a while; the captain heard a crashing
sound, and when he looked round the starboard boat was smashed and
hanging in splinters, while the port boat was torn clean away. These
were the only two boats that the vessel had. The slant or "list" grew
more pronounced, for the cargo had shifted; and the steamer was now like
a boxer whose left hand is tied behind his back. She seemed to take the
blows passively, only lungeing doggedly up when the wild welter had
flowed over her, and still keeping her nose to the sea. All night long
the captain hung on the bridge. It was his second night, and in that
time he had only had one biscuit, that the mate gave him. His legs were
very tired, and every muscle was strained in the effort to cling fast.
He could, of course, see nothing; and it was only by the compass that he
could tell how to keep her head. At midnight a wave swept everything;
the compass amidships and the one astern both went, and a man was taken
overboard. Still the wind kept on, and the only light to be seen was
the flash of the curling spray. The dawn broke, and still the sea was
bad. At seven o'clock a tremendous crash sounded, and the vessel
staggered: there was a long ripping grind, and the port bulwark was
gone; so all the seas that came aboard after this had their own way, and
as the vessel "listed" to port the deck was a very dangerous place. The
mate managed again to get near the captain. He said: "The men want you
to put her before the sea, sir; so do I." The captain replied: "I